Original subtitles

Dedicated to the Centenary Year of Cinema

SALAM CINEMA

Director's Assistants: ZinaI Zadeh - Azim Pour

Sound: Nezam Kiaii

Director of Photography: Mahmoud KaIari

Producer: Abbas Randjbar

Written, directed and edited by: Mohsen MakhmaIbaf

May I have your attention pIease?

PIease keep in Iine.

Stay in Iine!

The women are to gather

on the baIcony.

Give us the forms!

This year is the centenary year of cinema.

That's why

we're making a fiIm

about peopIe who'd Iike to become fiIm actors.

We've aIready started shooting.

Some of you wiII be chosen to act. You came here

because of the ad in the press.

But there are too many of you. So pIease stay in order

so that my assistants

can hand out a thousand forms.

We wiII seIect about a hundred of you

and some wiII get Ieading roIes in the fiIm.

You are both the subject and the actors of this fiIm.

So I'd just Iike to weIcome you to your own fiIm.

Give us the forms!

Be carefuI! You're kiIIing each other!

PeopIe wiII be kiIIed! Watch out!

Don't push!

You've kiIIed him!

Make sure he stays in the box.

Put a chest mike on him.

What's your name?

- HeIIo there. - HeIIo.

- Are you Mr MakhmaIbaf? - I'm in front of you.

Lift your head up.

What's your name?

Hadi.

- Your surname? - Mokhtarian.

Where do you come from?

A town caIIed Kerman, but I don't Iive in Kerman.

Why are you wearing gIasses?

Is it a probIem?

Any particuIar reason?

Isn't it better with the gIasses?

Sure it is.

Have you acted before?

I did some theater for a few years with my friend.

Are you ready to act for us now?

- Yes. - Go on then.

- Here? - Yes.

Am I near anything?

No, but don't move more than one step in any direction

or you won't be in the Iight.

Can I act whatever I want?

Yes, just act.

AII my Iife,

aII my Iove was just that.

True, my eyes do not see,

but I can see with my heart.

It can see and feeI things.

Have you ever been to the cinema?

A few times with my friend.

I've seen your fiIms too.

- Does he expIain the pictures? - Yes.

He expIains to me some scenes I can't understand,

when there's no sound.

Why do you want to be an actor?

A fiIm or a theater actor?

FiIm.

I want to pIay the part

of someone with emotions, someone positive.

But what if this part caIIed for a sighted person?

- Excuse me for asking. - That's okay.

It wouId depend on the director

and the part he gave me.

I don't mean to boast,

but I spent the Iast 2 nights in the park.

- Where? - In the park here.

- What were you doing there? - Waiting for the screen test.

- Where did you sIeep Iast night? - In the park.

- Why? - I had nowhere eIse to go!

WiII you answer me honestIy?

Yes.

You've never seen a fiIm.

How can you Iike fiIm? Does the sound interest you?

I can feeI it.

What is cinema for you?

There's aII sorts of emotions going on in cinema.

I can understand that. Someone cries

over his mother's death.

If I ask you to take off your gIasses and cry

to see if you can act, are you wiIIing to do it?

Is it reaIIy necessary?

Yes. Take off your gIasses.

CouId I...?

PIease take off your gIasses.

Lift your head up

and open your eyes.

- Do I have to? - Yes.

Didn't you say you'd do anything for cinema?

Yes.

Lift your head up and open your eyes for a second.

Open your eyes.

Open them!

Wide open.

Don't Iower your head.

Look me straight in the eyes.

TeII me about your Iove of cinema,

about your emotions...

It's my biggest passion.

Keep your eyes open

so we can see you've never seen a movie.

I Iove cinema.

I'd do anything for it.

WouId you do anything

the cinema asks of you?

Yes, as Iong as it's not immoraI.

If I asked you to open your eyes

and show us you're not bIind, wouId you do it for cinema?

Yes.

Open your eyes.

- Why did you Iie to us? - Because of my Iove for cinema.

You thought you'd have more chance if you pretended to be bIind?

No, I was onIy acting.

It's what you asked me to do.

So I started to act before I arrived.

Why act the part of a bIind man?

Because I understand the part.

Do you know any bIind peopIe?

No, but every time I see a bIind person,

I try my best to heIp.

What if cinema was just this,

this reaIity you chose to act out, wouId you be happy?

- You mean that was my part? - Yes. That's aII there was to it.

- My part was just that? - Yes.

Put your gIasses back on. You can go now.

That's what cinema's aII about.

Can't I do any more fiIms?

You can, but that's it for this fiIm.

I've no other part?

No. There's no more. Are you pIeased?

Yes. Because I came from a Iong way away.

- As a bIind man? - Yes.

- And no one noticed you? - No one.

So, if that's your part in the fiIm, are you pIeased?

Once you have the forms, stay apart and keep quiet.

Concentrate.

Shahbazi.

Kordi...

I don't want to pIay the part of a woman with chiIdren.

What about the part of a young girI?

Yes.

Why?

Because I don't Iike it.

You mean you prefer to pIay the part of a young girI?

If you were married, wouId you pIay a woman's part?

Perhaps.

Why do you want to be an actress?

Because I Iike it.

If I toId you that your best roIe is what you're doing right now

- just being yourseIf -

wouId you stiII rather be an actress?

First of aII, I'd Iike to find out what my roIe is.

I want to know my part.

I want to be an actress

but I won't accept just any part.

Imagine that was your part.

- That was you... - I understand.

...and you answered me honestIy.

It's your choice.

- You won't use this fiIm? - Not if you Ieave.

If you stay and if you agree, I wiII.

What about what you've fiImed so far?

It's your decision whether it's shown or not.

We'II see about the rest Iater.

I don't know.

Do you have doubts?

A IittIe.

Or are you sure?

If I Ieave, you won't use these pictures?

WeII, I'II go then.

For reaI.

- For reaI? - Yes.

- Do you reaIIy want me to cry? - Yes.

Can't you do it?

UsuaIIy I cry very easiIy. But here...

If I toId you that you won't be hired

if you're not abIe to cry,

does it make you cry?

Yes, because I Iove cinema.

Excuse me, but do you want to act or not?

To be honest, I don't know.

You don't know?

I Iike acting,

but...

- Cry. - I can't.

You're Number 1059.

We'II fiIm with this number for now.

Do you want us to keep this shot for the fiIm?

- As you are now? - Yes.

Stand up.

Action fiIm.

Here's the grenade!

Now!

Stand up, you HoIIywood peopIe.

Fire.

It's a battIe fieId.

I don't Iike action fiIms.

Why not?

Come here. QuickIy.

I don't Iike action fiIms.

SiIence. Let me Iisten to him.

I Iike meIodramas.

So act meIodramatic.

I Iike that kind of fiIm.

- What shaII I act? - Do what you feeI.

They're doing action parts. You just act what you Iike.

- Can I act Iater? - No, now.

An actor shouId be abIe to pIay any part, shouIdn't he?

That's right. He shouId be abIe to pIay the part of the murderer

and the victim, and be abIe to sing.

But I'm not an actor.

That's what the screen test's for: to see if you are or not.

So, sing...

Shoot...

FaII down.

I don't Iike action scenes.

What do you Iike then?

- MeIodramas. - So, do something Iike that.

Can you cry?

No.

Can you Iaugh?

Say something sentimentaI.

I Iove you.

Why did you come?

To become a bit famous.

It says here you were born in CaIifornia.

How Iong have you been in Iran?

7 years.

- Why do you want to be an actress? - First of aII, I Iove cinema...

and I want to reIate to other peopIe more.

Because actors can put themseIves in other peopIe's shoes

and so understand their feeIings better.

What about you?

First of aII, I Iike it

and then, I think that an actor

can get into a character's mind and understand more about him.

I think I have certain taIents

that aIIow me to communicate better with other peopIe.

What's your name?

Why did you come?

I want to speak to you aIone.

- It's not for the part? - No.

Why are you here then?

Let me expIain why just to you.

I don't want anyone eIse to hear.

- Pardon? - I want to taIk to you in private.

Nothing's private here.

WeII, I'II go then.

Ladies, turn around pIease.

No, I want to speak to you.

- You want everyone to Ieave? - No, I can come cIoser.

CouId you aII move back

and bIock your ears?

Come here!

- Can I sit here? - Go ahead.

I have a probIem. I didn't come here for a part.

I'm in Iove with a boy.

What?

I'm in Iove with a boy.

We were to marry Iast year.

His famiIy didn't approve of us getting married.

So he Ieft...he Ieft Iran.

Because of aII these probIems he Ieft.

I was supposed to go with him,

but...

because of my age,

I couIdn't get a visa.

So...

my idea in coming here...

I thought that your fiIm or Kiarostami's

wouId go to Cannes.

I wanted to try my Iuck.

If I was chosen for your fiIm...

CouId you heIp me?

HeIp you do what?

If I act in your fiIm, I might get a visa.

AII I want to do is Ieave Iran. That's my ambition.

But you must be abIe to act to be invited to a fiIm festivaI.

- Can you act? - A IittIe.

Let's suppose you are chosen. Can you act?

I can a bit.

I study acting.

Not to become an actress, but...

because I had nothing eIse to do.

I didn't have any other ideas.

Go and stand over there!

You've got 30 seconds to cry. Go on.

But I don't want to pIay a part.

You said you wanted to be an actress to get invited to festivaIs.

But I didn't come here to become a famous actress.

I need to audition you

to see who is abIe to Iaugh and cry.

I don't know.

GirIs, is she Iying?

Why did you cry?

You asked me to.

You have 10 seconds.

I can't cry anymore.

Is that how deep your Iove is?

Must I show my Iove to the whoIe worId?

You came here so we couId heIp you.

One...

two...

three...

four...

five...

six...

seven...

eight...

nine...

ten.

I can't do anything for you. Go away.

Goodbye.

That's how deep your Iove is?

I did my best.

You can't do anything for me.

What can I do?

I thought that maybe...

If you were me, couId you have done anything?

- Maybe. - Come here.

What can I do?

- I just thought... - Try to act weII

so I hire you and you'II get what you want.

Act?

I can't act right now.

So I can't hire you.

- Goodbye. - So Iong.

WiII you teII this boy

that you can't make any more sacrifices for him?

AII right.

So teII him.

TeII him that you can't make any more sacrifices for him.

Say it.

- Go on! - Who to?

To the camera. He'II see your fiIm.

Hurry up.

Come on.

What if that was your part, peopIe seeing your fiIm

and you getting invited? WouId you be happy?

He's what I want.

If I was invited, I'd be happy.

It's not a probIem for you

reveaIing your secret to the camera?

No. I don't know, no.

If you don't want to,

we won't show it and you'II miss the opportunity.

CouId it heIp me?

The acting was your idea.

That's how we work here.

If it'II heIp me, I agree.

Write: ''I passed the audition'' on the cIapper board.

You're next.

One of you wiII pass.

If you don't keep it, you won't get a part.

- I'II be eIiminated? - Yes.

If that's the way it is, I'm keeping it.

If she's hoIding it, she'II be chosen.

Are you joking?

No. Why do you want to become an actress?

WeII, I'II take it.

- Why do you want to act? - I Iike it.

Laugh, everybody.

You have 30 seconds to cry.

SiIence. Whoever doesn't cry

has to Ieave at once.

Look at me.

Anyone who can't cry wiII be eIiminated.

Lift your heads up so I can see you.

Away you go then.

Go away!

Anyone who can't cry can Ieave now.

We have no time to waste. Lots of peopIe are waiting.

An actor has to be abIe to Iaugh

and cry at wiII.

Even when you cry from the bottom of your heart,

you can't force the tears out.

I did my best.

GentIemen, you've aII faiIed. Go away.

There are too many peopIe. We've no time for the screen tests.

We'II keep whoever can cry. The others can go.

I have a question.

We reaIIy don't have time. We're working.

- I have a question. - Go on then.

There's a professionaI actor here, one of your friends.

TeII him to Iaugh and cry on demand.

- There's no actor here. - Yes, there's ZinaI Zadeh.

ZinaI Zadeh, go over there and cry.

Stay there!

You too, stand next to him or go and stand over there.

Stay next to him.

ZinaI, you have 30 seconds to cry, or eIse...

Don't Iook into the spotIight. Look at Mr MakhmaIbaf.

One...

two...

three...

four...

five...

six...

seven...

eight...

nine...

ten.

You count too fast.

He's aIready crying as I'm sure you can see.

He's aIready in tears.

Just go and take a Iook. And then go away!

I beIieve you.

If you beIieve me, just be on your way

and cry as hard as you can for the cinema!

If you want Iaughter, I can do that.

Come and stand next to Mr ZinaI Zadeh.

TeII us how many tears you have shed for the cinema?

- A Iot. - Before too?

More than I can count.

- Have you cried much? - A Iot.

You shouId know better than me, Mohsen.

How were you chosen?

How did you get into fiIms?

Like them, I came aIong to act.

Look at me.

Didn't you repIy to a smaII ad in the newspaper?

Didn't you start with a waIk-on part?

And when I said you'd be right for the roIe of ''The CycIist'',

you didn't teII me you had a broken Ieg, did you?

How Iong did it take you to bend it?

A month.

Didn't I aIso ask you to Iose weight?

I Iost 18 kiIos.

How Iong did you practice to achieve the character's siIence?

A Iong time.

How Iong?

Ever since that day, I've aIways been very siIent, as you know.

You too have faiIed, ZinaI. You didn't act weII enough.

Everyone has faiIed!

You're aII eIiminated.

You've aII passed.

I'm going to shoot. FaII down.

TeII me which actor you Iook Iike.

Akbar Abdi.

Fardin.

Joe Don Baker.

Steve McQueen.

Kirk DougIas.

Jeff Bridges and Harrison Ford.

MaIak Motiie.

Hendi.

AghiIi.

Tom Davis.

AIain DeIon.

ArnoId Schwarzenegger.

A Iot of peopIe teII me I Iook Iike

MariIyn Monroe

or Jennifer Jones.

I Iook Iike

PauI Newman when he was young.

You can Iaugh, but that's what my friends say.

But it's up to you to judge my physique and have the finaI say.

Is that what your friends say?

Act something.

I'II pIay the part of a traditionaI Iranian athIete.

A traditionaI athIete.

Not exactIy PauI Newman!

I'm taIking about the emotion.

It's up to you to decide.

The PauI Newman way?

I want to act the traditionaI way.

Act the PauI Newman way.

You want me to act?

- I don't know how he acts. - You Iook Iike him, don't you?

To be honest, I've never actuaIIy seen PauI Newman myseIf.

If you were a foreigner caIIed PauI Newman, what wouId you do?

- Foreigners mostIy act in westerns. - So do a western then.

An Armenian song

Cry.

Let's see some tears.

What part suits you?

- Me? - Yes.

As a ruIe, the bad guy.

Why's that?

Because of my face,

I get given that sort of part.

Why the part of the bad guy?

I just toId you why:

because of the way I Iook.

Are you prepared to pIay any part?

It doesn't matter to me

whether I pIay a good or a bad guy.

It's aII down to the director.

- Do you think you are a bad person? - No.

So why do you aIways get to pIay the bad guy?

Is your appearance what matters most?

Yes.

Are you a good or a bad guy?

A good guy.

So why pIay the part of a bad guy?

It's the director's idea. I'm not the one who decides.

What part wouId you give yourseIf?

- The bad guy's part. - The bad guy?

Why?

Because I Iike pIaying the bad guy.

- Are you a bad guy? - No.

If you were a director, wouId you make me the good or the bad guy?

The bad guy.

HeIIo.

PIease stay inside the box.

How are you?

Keep inside the box, chiIdren.

How are things?

- Why do you want to be in cinema? - What eIse can I do?

I thought what I have to say might heIp peopIe.

PIease come cIoser, you two.

Stand next to them.

Are they your sons?

Yes, Hamid and Hamed.

Why are you kids here?

Act out something for us.

- Act something. - What?

They won't act, FeizoIIah.

They have faiIed.

Anyone who can't act at the first screen test faiIs.

Do something.

Why do you want them to become actors?

At schooI, they do theater

and singing.

Were they born after the revoIution?

Yes.

My eIder boy who visited us in prison

was born before the revoIution.

How oId are you girIs?

Sixteen.

- Are your parents here? - UnfortunateIy not.

- Why? - We didn't know they had to come.

If we fiIm you without your parents' permission,

we'II get into troubIe.

If you want, you can phone and ask them.

We didn't know we had to come with our parents.

And it's too Iate now.

Let's see you act.

FaiIed.

Where was your father before the revoIution?

He was a poIiticaI prisoner.

What do you do now, FeizoIIah?

I'm a tradesman and I do odd jobs.

Here and there.

In the oId days, you were striving for justice.

You're not asking me to puII strings

for your kids, are you?

No. If they have taIent, I just want to bring it out.

Come here.

As is right and proper, your chiIdren have faiIed.

What do you think of that?

I'd just Iike you to do something for my chiIdren if you can.

Look at the camera.

Laugh. Try and Iaugh.

Louder.

Now cry.

The one who cries the fastest knows the most about Iove.

Some peopIe don't cry

when they're sad. Me, I shiver.

Are you sad right now?

Yes, I'm shaking.

My hands and body feeI Iike ice.

How do you mean?

When I'm sad, I feeI icy aII over.

I'II count to ten.

- Cry if you can... - There.

Where?

Come here.

Look at my hands.

Why are you crying, FeizoIIah?

Choose me, I beg you.

Is being an actress so important?

- Yes. - Why?

I Iove it.

- So important you cry about it? - Yes.

So cry and say: ''I want to act''.

- I want to act. - Face the camera.

I want to act.

Next! Who's crying?

I'm not crying, but I reaIIy Iove acting.

There's no need to be weak and cry.

I'm shivering,

but I reaIIy want to act.

PIease choose me.

I want to act!

You're making me cry.

I can't take it anymore!

I'd Iike to act.

I'd Iike to be in fiIms. I can't wait any Ionger.

Wait for what?

Wait for my day to come...

But you're onIy 16!

It doesn't matter. I Iove acting.

Now you, FeizoIIah.

I don't know.

If you couId fiIm us, that'd be fine.

We went to so much troubIe to be accepted.

In prison, you didn't cry even under torture.

Your turn.

There's no one to puII strings for me.

I came from a Iong way away

because I remember acting

in the attic, from the age of 3 or 4.

I want to be an actress and I wiII be.

And if anyone tries to stop me,

I'II make my own fiIm just so I can act in it.

Where there's a wiII, there's a way. I managed to persuade my parents.

My famiIy can't wait for me to make it.

I'm shaking deep down inside.

I'd Iove to

become part of the fiIm worId. I'm too worked up to continue.

What about you?

The same goes for me.

I had taIent very earIy on and it's never been put to good use.

I was a gifted chiId.

As you know, I even did theater in prison

to make my feIIow inmates forget their troubIes.

FeizoIIah did theater to entertain his comrades.

But you who were in prison to uphoId justice

for other peopIe,

wouId you have me commit an injustice?

He's given you his pIace.

Even if I were accepted, I'd rather give up my pIace to these girIs.

What do you think?

You want me to give up my pIace for him as weII?

It was his idea. I can't...

I can neither accept nor refuse.

Can I ask you something?

WouId you Iike to be the winner

among these 5 peopIe?

I'd rather we voted.

What do you think?

I want to be the winner.

What about you?

WeII, same here.

Who do you think acted the best among you aII?

I didn't notice how they acted.

My mind was on other things.

So you see, voting is no use, is it?

- Do you reaIIy want the truth? - Yes.

I choose us.

- Who? - Me and my friend.

You mean you two? Stand back, you three.

Further back.

You two can compete against each other.

FeizoIIah, take your chiIdren.

Stand between your chiIdren and move back to the door.

This is part of the audition.

Turn toward the door and get out.

Have you no pity?

I do have pity, but...

OnIy 10%of the reason he gave me his pIace was pity.

There are other issues invoIved.

I say, if they reaIIy can't act,

why shouId the poor peopIe in the audience have to stand

bad actors

and waste their time?

Why shouId they waste their money? They couId be doing other things.

It's supposed to be enjoyabIe!

Now, I'II ask you both one thing.

The one who thinks

that she's the Ioser shouId Ieave. The other can stay.

I shaII count to ten.

One of you has to Ieave.

Is no one Ieaving?

You go.

- Do you not mind her going? - No.

Bring her back and you go.

Come back here.

Stay there.

So, was it worth making four peopIe suffer just to stay?

No.

But you have to Iook at it in the same way.

I onIy think of the audience's enjoyment

and not mine.

It's true you need to have pity.

But what good is a fiIm if the audience don't enjoy it?

If you think I act badIy, then I too wiII have to Ieave.

It's true I'm crazy about the movies.

Every night I faII asIeep

thinking about the movies, I dream about actors,

every week I read aII the movie magazines.

I'm not saying I'm the onIy one to do that.

But uItimateIy,

it's down to the director to trust his experience and choose.

Cut.

TeII her to come back.

If you had to choose,

wouId you rather be an artist

or a humane person?

Of course everyone prefers a humane person.

Between staying and being an artist and Ieaving and being humane,

what wouId you choose?

I'd Ieave and stay humane.

- Leave and stay humane? - Yes, of course.

It's up to you.

You see, I chose art

for its humanity.

I've noticed that an artist

has more respect for a mosquito than other peopIe,

Iike engineers who Iive with formuIas

rather than with feeIings.

- An artist is more humane. - Are you staying?

It wouId destroy me if I gave up art.

But if you think that, by going, I'II stay human, I'II go.

If you stay, you'II be an artist.

If you go, you'II be more humane.

So wiII you.

The one who wants to be an artist can stay.

The one who wants to be more humane

shouId go and not turn round.

I want to be more humane, so I'II go,

but it'd destroy me to have to give up art.

You have to choose in difficuIt conditions.

- I'm Ieaving. - Quiet pIease.

If you want to be artists, stay.

If you want to be humane, go.

We're going.

If you have the sIightest doubt, come back. If not, then go.

ZinaI...

Go and prevent them from Ieaving.

Make them come back.

WeII now,

does FeizoIIah prefer his sons

or these two girIs?

I'II count to three. Turn round.

CIose your eyes.

Move one pace apart.

If you want to have a part, you shouId stay

and if you want to give your part to these two girIs

you can Ieave.

One, two, three.

FeizoIIah, teII the girIs to come back

and that you've given them your parts.

CaII them!

You don't regret Ieaving?

No, Mohsen, why shouId I regret it?

Come over here quickIy.

Hurry up!

Stand where you were.

What do you think?

I want to be both an artist and a humane person.

- It's quite possibIe. - It's not a contradiction.

But you chose to Ieave.

As I Ieft, I thought

it might be possibIe to be both an artist and a humane person.

- To be an artist... - ...you have to be humane.

I gave you an exampIe.

An artist can see more beauty

in a mosquito than other peopIe can.

Once I Ieft, I reaIIy understood what I'd been saying.

Why can't an artist be humane too? He has to be!

An artist who isn't humane...

...isn't an artist.

You didn't give up what you Iove most for the others.

We were going to.

But you came back.

WeII, do you reaIIy want to act?

Very much so.

The Iast 30 minutes have been recorded.

You were in the fiIm.

You acted in it.

So now you're actresses.

In this fiIm, your part Iasts 30 minutes.

Can I ask you something?

If you were toId to give up the cinema to stay a humane person,

what wouId you do?

I'd reaIIy Iike to know.

I asked you how you feIt about having become actresses.

How do you feeI?

I don't beIieve it.

Why not?

I'm dubious.

I'm too happy to beIieve it.

I don't beIieve it.

But you reaIIy have become actresses.

I want you to show your joy by Iaughing.

I don't know if I feeI Iike Iaughing or crying.

Do what you feeI Iike.

Stay there. Do what you feeI Iike doing.

I'd Iike to teII someone the good news.

Who to?

My grandfather, because it'd pIease him.

ReaIIy?

Who do you want to teII?

My father.

What wouId you teII him?

That my dream has come true.

I'm doing something I Iove.

Run to the door and hurry back.

You teII your father and you, your grandfather.

Act as if they were here.

Run aIong.

Come back, come back.

I finaIIy made it! I'm acting

in Mr MakhmaIbaf's fiIm!

I'm so happy I don't know what to do!

I don't know if I shouId Iaugh or cry!

Now you.

Do you remember the smaII ad about an audition?

I was accepted and now I'm acting in the fiIm!

You acted that Iast part badIy.

You've faiIed again.

Do you beIieve it?

No.

- No? Why? - I don't beIieve it.

So are we actresses or aren't we?

What do you think?

I don't know... I think I've become an actress.

I just acted out my part.

An actress can act badIy, but stiII be an actress.

What about you?

I think so too. I have become an actress.

You think so? But which one of you is more of an actress?

I don't know.

I'm not abIe to judge our work.

Can you cry again?

I didn't think I'd be abIe to cry Iast time either.

But I did.

If you want, you can go ahead and cry.

If you manage to cry, then you're reaI artists.

Otherwise, it just means

that I was a good director.

Show me what you're capabIe of. It was a game untiI now.

If you cry, you'II be accepted.

Otherwise, you'II be refused.

There's no room for everyone in cinema.

WeII?

An actor can cry at wiII,

even if he's happy

and Iaugh even if he feeIs unhappy.

What I think is

that everyone shouId get a chance.

You want a Iot of actors,

so we can stay too.

But I need someone

who can cry in 10 seconds.

If you cry again, you can stay.

Why are you so strict?

It's the cinema that's crueI!

One... No taIking.

Cry and you can stay or eIse get out.

- Two... - PIease don't count aIoud.

I've counted to ten and you haven't cried.

So you can go.

You were humane,

but an artist knows how to handIe his feeIings and pIay with them.

Go away.

I'm sorry.

Why do we have to Ieave?

Because you can't cry when you have to.

The cinema beIongs

to those who are abIe to seII their feeIings

when they're asked to. You're not that kind.

So you've faiIed.

There are too many distractions here

which are stopping us from crying.

We just can't do it. There's just no way.

How do you expect to get a part?

Once the contract is signed, we pay you

and we want you to Iaugh or cry on demand.

You can't seII your feeIings when you have to.

Don't you know that the cinema is crueI?

Didn't you notice how peopIe were kiIIing each other to get here,

to become rich and famous?

What do you expect?

Those who act weII in Iife and in fiIms are successfuI.

When they're asked to, they Iaugh and cry.

But you can't manage to do it when you have to.

- Can you cry when you have to? - I don't know.

So you won't succeed in Iife either.

HaIf of a woman's success is knowing how to arouse pity when she has to.

Otherwise it's impossibIe to get on in Iife.

Cry if you want to succeed.

Cry.

Cry.

I can't.

I Iove art, but I can't cry.

Not right here and now, I can't.

I was abIe to cry earIier on.

That was just a refIex reaction, not your taIent. You were upset.

An artist knows how to seII his innermost feeIings:

his tears and Iaughter

so peopIe see he's an artist.

You're humane, but you're not an artist.

Cry.

Cry or go away!

We come into the worId crying.

And when we die, others cry for us.

In between the two, we must cry and cry

to wash ourseIves in our tears, to purify ourseIves.

Cry so I can see your taIent.

WeII, Iaugh then.

Laugh or cry.

You want me to Iaugh?

Tears or Iaughter.

I want to Iaugh at this worId of ours.

I'm not abIe to cry!

Why shouId I cry? I'm not weak.

This worId's a reaIIy funny pIace.

A baby comes into the worId crying. When he Ieaves it, we cry for him.

Why shouId we cry?

Why shouId we cry aII the time?

I want to Iaugh. I don't want to cry.

Laugh then.

The worId shouIdn't make me cry. It shouId make me Iaugh.

I want to Iaugh. I'm Iaughing.

I'm Iaughing and so much the better.

The worId shouId make me Iaugh. I'm fighting against it.

I'm not crying. I'm Iaughing.

- Laugh. - I am.

Laugh if you want. Why are you crying? You shouId Iaugh.

If you Iaugh, you'II pass.

The probIem is that when peopIe want to Iaugh, they start to cry.

To be accepted, we have to Iaugh. That makes me Iaugh!

But to be accepted, we have to cry. Why must it be Iike this?

Why do we have to Iaugh or cry?

What is there to cry about? We shouIdn't cry.

We shouId Iaugh.

Why must we cry when we come into and Ieave the worId?

I'm Iaughing!

I'm Iaughing! So much the better! I must Iaugh.

Thank you. You've passed.

You'II be paid right away.

Mr SaIahmand!

Prepare their contracts

and give them both their money.

Give them both 50,000 tomans.

Just pay the artists and ask them to Ieave?

Have they no reaI vaIue?

We just wanted to respect your rights.

When do we come back?

You came here to act,

so that's your first day's pay.

See if it suits you.

I didn't come here for the money.

- Why did you come then? - To see how it aII works.

To see how an actress without any contacts

gets into the fiIm worId

and how she can be a good actress.

I toId you, you're in the fiIm worId now.

With your taIent, you'II get other breaks too.

But don't shut the gate on other peopIe.

Don't teII them that no one eIse can come into your paIace.

I won't,

because I've been trying since I was 13.

My parents weren't in agreement.

I had to cIimb those stairs aII by myseIf.

I wasn't aIIowed out of the house on my own.

I Iooked aII over and I asked everyone, but to no avaiI.

So I won't Iet anyone suffer Iike I had to.

I won't Iet it happen.

Give the cIapper board to the one in the middIe.

Who wants to hoId up the cIapper board?

Who wants to hoId it up?

It's better if he hoIds it up.

Now write ''The End'' on the cIapper board.

Sit down to write it.

You've aII had a part to pIay.

There was room for aII of you. The cinema is for everyone.

If the cinema refIects on Iife, then there's room for everyone.

HoId it above your head.

Higher, young man.

Face the Iight.

Everyone smiIe.

Laugh.

- Say how you feeI. - I'm happy.

- I'm very happy. - I'm happy.

- I am happy. - Happy.

Thank you and goodbye.

Can everyone go out of frame? Out you go.

AII the crew can go.

Say goodbye to the camera.

Say goodbye.

Goodbye.

I want to come back.

The Iadies can stay for the screen tests.

CouId aII the men pIease wait outside?

These two girIs are going to judge the other appIicants.

We'II see if any others are accepted.

The Iadies can stay, but the men must go.

You're in my shoes

and you're directing.

Come here, Iadies.

Put a camera here.

I'm going to count to ten. The one who cries wiII be accepted.

Those who don't cry wiII be refused.

- If an artist isn't abIe to cry... - ...what's he good for?

Don't put your hands in front of your faces.

I want reaI tears

or I won't Iet you become actresses.

I've been chosen

to seIect the girIs who deserve a part.

Why won't you aII cry?

- Do we reaIIy have to cry? - Whoever cries can stay.

The time's up. You others can go.

You've faiIed as far as I'm concerned.

You and you can stay. You cried.

The others can go.

Can I cry now?

Yes, you can.

I'II give you one Iast chance.

Just ten seconds.

You must cry.

I'm asking you to cry. I'm the director

and I'm asking you to cry. So just cry.

Be reasonabIe.

I can't cry now!

I have to know what the fiIm's about

to get into the emotion of it!

It's not that simpIe.

Imagine you're acting in a pIay and it's a sad scene.

You'd have to cry where the stage directions teII you to.

Imagine we're the audience.

- Act a sad scene for us. - I need to be on stage.

- This is the stage here. - Concentrate!

Go back to the others.

Take one step forward. Near this Iine.

WeII? Did you cry?

I feIt tears weII up in my eyes, but they wouIdn't come out.

It's hard to cry on command, isn't it?

Very.

So how couId you be as crueI as I was?

How do you feeI now?

- I'm nervous. - What about?

About whether we've been accepted or not.

What about you?

I'm feeIing Iike I did at the beginning.

I'm feeIing just as nervous.

How did you feeI when you were sitting here?

At first, I thought I wouIdn't be abIe to do it.

Then, I graduaIIy reaIized I couId.

Okay, take the cIapper board.

You too.

Take it. It's caIIed a cIapper board.

Stand in Iines

so we can see everybody.

Go over there.

I want to see everybody.

Sit down, you two.

Can they sit down?

Sit down.

Come cIoser together.

Write on the cIapper board.

What?

Write: ''To be continued''.

HoId it up.

Higher.

Now, do you want to Iaugh or cry for the cIosing shot?

It's better to Iaugh.

- What do you think? - A happy end is better.

Cut.

EngIish subtitIes: J. MiIIer

Processed by C.M.C. - Paris